Once upon a midnight dreary, as I pondered, and weary Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there a tapping As if some one rapping, rapping at my chamber door "Tis some visitor," I muttered, tapping at my chamber only this this and nothing more
Muttering I got up weakly, always I've had sleeping Stumbling upright my mind racing, furtive thoughts flowing once I there hoping for some sunrise, would be a surprise Loneliness no a prize, rapping at my chamber door Seeking out the clever bore, lost in dreams forever this and nothing more
Hovering my pulse was racing, tobacco my lips tasting Scotch upon my basin, remnants of the night before Came again infernal on the door, in my mind jabbing Is it in or outside rapping, calling out to me once The fit and fury of Lenore, nameless here more And the sad uncertain, rustling of the purple curtain Thrilled me, me
With fantastic terrors felt before, so that now, oh wind breathing, hoping yet to calm my breathing 'Tis some visitor entreating, entrance at my door Some lost entreating, entrance at my chamber door This is it, and nothing more, deep the darkness peering Long I stood there, wondering fearing, doubting dreaming No mortal dared to dream But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no And the only word there spoken, was the whispered name,
I thought in out loud whispered from my lips The foul festered, echoing itself merely this, and nothing more Back my chamber turning, every nerve within me burning When once again I a tapping, somewhat louder than before "Surely," said I, surely that is something at my staircase Open the door to see what threat is, open that window, free the Let us this explore, Oh! bursting heart be still this once And let this mystery it is the wind and nothing more
Just one Epithet I muttered as inside, I gagged and When with manly flirt and flutter, in flew a stately raven Sleek and ravenous as any foe, not the obeisance made he Not a gesture towards me, of recognition or politeness But perched above my door, this fowl and salivating visage Insinuating with its knowledge, perched above my door Silent sat and nothing more, a-skance, a-skew
The self's sad smiles at you I swear, at this savage viscous Countenance it wears, though you show here and shaven and I myself forlorn and craven, ghastly grim and ancient raven from the opiate shores, tell me, what Thy Lordly name is? you are not nightmare sewage dire powdered drink or inhalation Framed flames of downtown lore stroke the raven never more
And the raven sitting lonely, staring sickly at my sex only That one word as if his soul in one word, he did outpour, pathetic Nothing farther he uttered, not a feather then he fluttered finally was I that muttered as I stared, dully at the floor Other have flown and left me Flown as each and every hope has flown And as you no doubt before tomorrow But the bird never more
Then I the air grow denser, perfumed from some unseen incense As though accepting angelic intrusion, when in fact I felt Before the guise, of memories respite Respite through the of cocaine's glory I smoke and I smoke the vial's glory To forget at once, the Lenore Stroke the raven more Prophet said I, thing of evil, still, if bird or devil By that Heaven that bend above us, by that God we ignore Tell this soul with laden, willful and destructive intent
How had lapsed a pure heart lady, to the of needs Sweaty arrogant dick less liar, who to nothing higher Than a jab prick to a needle, straight to betrayal and disgrace The conscience not a trace, stroke the raven never more Be word our sign of parting Bird or fiend," I yelled upstarting, get thee into the tempest Into the smoke filled bottle's shore, leave no black as a token Of the thy soul hath spoken, leave my loneliness unbroken
Quit as those have quit before, take the talon from my And see that I can care no more, whatever mattered before I vanished with the dead Lenore, stroke the never more But the raven, flitting Still is sitting silent sitting, above a painting painting Of the forever silenced whole and his eyes all the seeming Of a demon's is dreaming, and the lamplight over him throws his shadow to the floor I love she Who hates me more, I love she who me more And my shall not be lifted from that shadow nevermore